The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 2:1-3, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

One of the difficulties we often encounter is that we rest before we’ve completed the task. Interestingly, there are twice as many references to work in the Bible as there are to rest. Still, we’re more inclined to rest. Could it be that that’s why we don’t get more done? We “stop” more than we “start.”

If the chairs in our homes were no more comfortable than a park bench, we might ultimately get more done. Can’t you remember your mother saying, “You can have it when you’ve finished what I gave you to do?” Failure to complete any task is the invitation to fail on the next one.

Our LORD set the pace, as it were, by not “resting” until His task was completed. So, the next time you face a not-so-exciting thing to do, remember the example the LORD established for us: “Plan your work; work your plan.” One day you will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Romans 12:1-3, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

“You’re wasting your time if you’re trying to convert him! He’ll never change!” Negative affirmations always abound! Yet, the truth is that people can change! What’s more, people often do.

One of the most unlikely men for change –yet, one who actually did, was the Japanese Naval Pilot, Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II with Japan.

Who would have believed that Fuchida would learn of the change
Jesus Christ had made in others and venture to give himself to Christ? Who would have believed that Fuchida would then become a Presbyterian evangelist, leading multiple Japanese men and women to faith in Jesus Christ? Yet, it’s true!

We all engage in things that are inapropriate before we’re saved.
Truth be told, we all engage in things inappropriate even after we
have been saved! Yet, when we confess those sins to Christ, He
is true to His promise: He forgives us and sets our feet on the right
path and at the right time.

Live in His Word, my friend! His Word (the Holy Scriptures) always leads us as we follow Him. If the LORD can transform a
man like Fuchida, He can transform anyone! He can transform you!
“Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

II Chronicles 36:22-23, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia– in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah– the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'”

I was only in Iran for a very brief time, and was headed to Scandinavia for a series of evangelistic meetings. Our airplane did a brief stop-over in Tehran to take on and drop off passengers. Unfortunately, it was nighttime, and I never had opportunity to view the beauty of the country, only the inside of the airport.

Over the years, however, I have made some Iranian friends right here in Arkansas. And very recently, two young ladies from Iran, spoke of the growth of the Christian faith in their native land! God is everywhere! And He is constantly reaching out to save those of many countries.

Personally, I believe we are living in the “last days.” How much time we have before Jesus returns, I do not know. Neither does anyone else know; so, don’t be misled by what others say. Satan is stirring things because he knows his time is short! Get your information straight from the Bible, the Holy Scriptures!

Read and share the tract, “It’s Not How You Play The Game.”
It’s in .pdf format just below my address.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 1:5-9, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.”

When did you stop learning? I honestly trust that your answer to that question is: “Never! I’ve never stopped learning!”

Why should I care about your learning? Simply because it’s the only way I can know whether you are reading and understanding things I retularly set before you.

Another question of equal importance is: What are you doing with the learning you’re acquiring? You might be an expert on the eating habits of a certain specie of birds. If so, how are you using the knowledge you’re acquiring?

Our Scripture passage above (vs. 7) says we must “fear” the LORD before we can gain knowledge. The word “fear” in this verse does not always mean “to be afraid of”. It sometimes means “to reverence.”

Think of when you were in school. The teacher you liked (reverenced) the most was the one from whom you learned the most. You ultimately retained more of what you learned from that teacher than from all the others, largely because you liked the teacher.

Our earliest teachers were our parents. If they learned well, they passed that on to you. The writer of these Proverbs encourages us to reverence the LORD and our parents. Why do you suppose he wants that of us?

The wreath of which this writer speaks is a sign of honor. When others honor us, we can then pass that honor to the LORD. After all, we are what we are according to what we have been taught. Yet, we alone are responsible for sharing it with others. Have you truly learned what you were taught? Are you passing that on to others?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Psalm 37:1-9, “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.”
9 For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.”

It’s not really necessary for me to advise you of “evildoers.” If you’re of sufficient age to read and understand the meaning of the word, you’ve already met them. They are everywhere!! Don’t worry or get angry at them. Verse two above tells us that they won’t last long. I recall my Dad’s remark about worry. He said, “Don’t tell me it doesn’t pay to worry. Nothing I ever worried about ever happened.” (Thanks, Dad!)

The opposite of worry is trust –trust in the LORD. Keep on doing good…”cultivate a growing faithfulness” in the LORD! The psalmist goes further and encourages us to “delight” and “commit” and “trust” ever and always in the LORD! Don’t allow anyone to shake your faith!

Envision a courtroom where you are charged with doing wrong when you’re definitely not guilty. What are you to do? “Rest,” be silent. Don’t become angry! Just wait for the LORD to act. In the end, your adversaries will suffer defeat. You will “inherit the land.” You will experience the LORD’s work of miraculous deliverence.

Then, you will rejoice and acknowledge the Hand of the LORD in rescuing you from evil.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom